The hobbies of a stay-at-home dad!

Technology can be a drag. It's not right that people should be satisfied jut sitting on their asses and look at their phones, but as a man who has done this plenty in his life, let me say that people are GOOD at making things attention-grabbing. The Internet is virtually infinite, and you can do anything on it. And with smartphones, that infinity is in the palms of our hands.

But with infinity, the easiest thing for a tired mind to do is kick a can around.
So here are the hobbies that I try to keep up with!


1. Writing

I've got ideas bouncing around, but it isn't until I put them on paper that they really start to make sense. For a month, I was planning this encounter between a main character and this other guy. But when I put my fingers on the keys, I made them a brother and sister with a strained relationship! A scattered month of planning couldn't match 20 minutes typing.
It's hard to motivate myself to write when ideas aren't coming, but it's when I start writing that ideas actually materialize.


2. Editing

It's a hobby that's made me a few hundred dollars! Isn't that the dream? I like to read ideas and be a part of growing them into bigger and better stories! I think I'm particularly good at  helping other people hone in on what they want to say.
It helps that I've got some projects that are always on the backburner. Some friends who've just sent me things for grammar and spelling, or to see if a story's there, but no rush. It makes it a more leisurely hobby, even though every few months I find myself working hard to get things done!


3. Board game design

Of anything, this is the most sporadic hobby I've got. I have yet to actually finish anything, but I've probably started ten games while I've been a dad. I keep on getting ideas like "What if you could build a city while fighting off monsters?" or "What if you set up actions before a battle and so battles were fast-paced?" or "What if you built giant robots?"
Actually, I guess I've had some success with tabletop RPGs! Homebrew DnD that we played on my 28th birthday, Umbra that I've played for two sessions (and I'm working on a third). These ones are a bit easier to design, because I can make things up as I go! I just need the most basic rules, and because the games essentially require me to guide them (which is the most heart-pumping fun time ever), I don't need much set in stone.


4. Reading

It takes me forever to read a book, but I do enjoy it. It's a good alternative to a phone screen, and honestly, it feels good to show my kids that it's fun to read.

It's hard to stave off the ability to just be entertained by mindless things. But these are the hobbies I have!

Now here are cute kids!

Just kidding. Those are my non-cute kids! But I love them regardless.